Split ‘Potter’ book leads to underwhelming ‘Part 1’
The makers of the
”
Harry Potter
”
movie series should know what they are doing by now. They’ve
already released six films that were almost destined to become
blockbusters before they were even filmed based on the popularity
of the young adult book series by J.K. Rowling.
For the last book, a tome that comes in at almost 800 pages,
writer Steve Kloves and director David Yates decided to divide the
book into two movies. For anyone who thought it would draw down the
running time of
”
Part 1,
”
it still clocks in at 146 minutes.
Split ‘Potter’ book leads to underwhelming ‘Part 1’
The makers of the “Harry Potter” movie series should know what they are doing by now. They’ve already released six films that were almost destined to become blockbusters before they were even filmed based on the popularity of the young adult book series by J.K. Rowling.
For the last book, a tome that comes in at almost 800 pages, writer Steve Kloves and director David Yates decided to divide the book into two movies. For anyone who thought it would draw down the running time of “Part 1,” it still clocks in at 146 minutes.
Having read all the books, the one thing that I liked best about the movies is that they seemed to move at a much faster pace than the books. I read the books as an adult and Rowling’s prose always seemed a bit overwrought to me. She spent too much time describing things and too much time on scenes that just seemed meaningless to me. The first few movies picked up the pace by eliminating some of the pieces of the book that just don’t seem necessary. But with the latest installment in the series, the director and writer promised that the films would be truer to the book. That may have been a mistake.
In “The Deathly Hallows,” things have gotten a lot darker for the good guys. Voldemort’s power continues to increase and his group of followers is ever growing. Voldemort is out to get Harry, who he tried to kill when Harry was a baby. Voldemort has people inside the Ministry of Magic, snatchers working to find people for bounty, and plenty of other magical creatures in his service.
Harry, of course, has plenty of people willing to sacrifice themselves to keep him safe. He’s got the entire Weasley clan, professors from Hogwart’s, and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane.) Everyone comes to his aid to help move him to the Weasley’s homestead before his 17th birthday.
The visit should be a joyous occasion since one of Ron’s older brothers is getting married. But instead a damper is put on things because of Dumbledore’s recent death. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) was the headmaster of Hogwart’s and a mentor to Harry. In his will, he left items to Harry, Hermione and Ron, though none of them are sure what the significance of the items is when they receive them.
The beginning of the movie lags until Harry, Hermione and Ron set out on their own to destroy horcruxes, enchanted items that are giving Voldemort his power. They go off on their own to protect their family and friends from Voldemort’s minions. But every obstacle the trio encounters seems to be resolved a little too quickly and then they where on to a lot more sitting around in the woods. One of the other issues in the movie is that the trio is supposed to be out in the woods for months, but the passing of time is not really reflected that well in the film.
The movie does have some moments that were unexpected, such as an animated scene of Harry and Hermione kissing without their clothes on, with clouds of smoke strategically placed (as a reflection of Ron’s worst fear from one of the horcruxes.) There is also a scene of Harry and Hermione dancing together in one of the tents as they camp in the woods that seemed completely unnecessary.
Despite the slow pace of the movie, it is helped along by a strong cast of side characters. Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have been playing their characters for so long, it’s almost as if it comes second nature to them. Ralph Fiennes has little screen time as Voldemort, but his acting makes his scenes as dark as his disturbing make up. Helena Bonham Carter is perfect as one of his followers, Bellatrix Lestrange, and the scenes with her offer more tension than many of the others.
One of the best scenes in the movie, however, is a short animated sequence as Harry is learning the tale of the deathly hallows. The story is of three brothers who tried to cheat Death and each received an enchanted item – a powerful wand, a rock that resurrects the dead and a cloak of invisibility. The brothers and Death are drawn as shadows against the background. The story gives Harry some insight into what Voldemort is up to.
The movie ends with a bit of a cliffhanger for viewers who will have to wait until summer for the conclusion. “Part 1” is probably a movie for die-hard fans, but too slow for people who just want a good action flick. The movie might be a little inappropriate for younger viewers. Despite the flaws in “Part 1,” the second half of the book may have just enough action to make it a stronger film.
